Category Archives: Gadgets

The iPhone and the clipboard: an uneasy alliance

I recently spent some time as a guest of the Ontario judicial system. No, not as a prisoner, something much more unpleasant: jury duty. Recommended Reading This is the second time in five years that I’ve “done my duty”, and … Continue reading

Posted in Gadgets, Software Tools | Tagged , | Leave a comment

An Audible Improvement in iTunes 9.1.1

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the latest iTunes patch, version 9.1.1, fixed a problem with Audible audiobooks on my iPhone and iPod Touch. Previously, whenever I added new content from Audible I would lose my current place in … Continue reading

Posted in Gadgets | Tagged | Leave a comment

Review: Best iPhone Apps

This book is a top notch implementation of a questionable concept.  Like a shiny new sports car on a dealer’s lot, it looks and performs great right now, but its value will fall as time goes by. The problem is … Continue reading

Posted in Gadgets | Tagged | Leave a comment

Kindle comes to Canada, Kind Of

I saw a rumour (not rumor!) over at iPhoneInCanada.ca.  They say that us Canadians can get our filthy mitts on those delectable Amazon Kindle books by doing the following: Mmmm, forbidden fruit Get an iPhone or iPod Touch.  (I suppose … Continue reading

Posted in Gadgets | Leave a comment

The best iPhone case that $4.38 can buy

Shipping included.  Seriously! I bought one of these to protect my multi-thousand dollar (including data plan) iPhone 3Gs.  The photo pretty accurately reflects the styling (meh), but it doesn’t do justice to the fit. The phone sits snugly in the … Continue reading

Posted in Gadgets | Tagged | Leave a comment

Simple fix to iPhone/iPod dropped USB connections

A couple of months ago, my iPod Touch began to intermittently drop its connection to my PC during synchronization.  The iTunes synchronization progress bar would stop moving and, after a minute or so, iTunes would report that the device was … Continue reading

Posted in Gadgets | Tagged | 26 Comments

Shed watts while you sleep

Continuing with my Kill-A-Watt experimentation, I decided to look at the power consumption of my PCs.  Specifically, I wanted to check a few things that I had assumed to be true, but never actually verified: Putting a computer in sleep … Continue reading

Posted in Electronics, Gadgets | Leave a comment

iPhone Preview: Monopoly!

No, I’m not talking about a version of the board game for the iPhone — that’s been done.   ( I predicted that, too, just not out loud). I’m talking a shameless, glorious capitalistic monopoly. You just know that Steve Jobs … Continue reading

Posted in Gadgets | Tagged | Leave a comment

Dell Axim and Windows Mobile 6.1: New tricks for the old dog

Over a year ago I wrote a post about my Pocket PC, the Dell Axim. Its size, ruggedness (when armoured with a hard case) and software compatibility make it the best of the Pocket PCs, in my opinion, and a … Continue reading

Posted in Gadgets | Tagged | Leave a comment

Dell Dissection: The Axim Battery Latch Problem

(If you found this page when Googling for a solution to the Axim battery latch problem, there is a non-surgical solution which you’ll find at the end of the article.) Starting about six months ago, my Dell Axim x51 began … Continue reading

Posted in Gadgets | Tagged | 10 Comments